Dancing with the Stars 8: Is Tony to Blame for Melissa Rycroft's Injury?Tuesday, April 28, 2009

While I was frantically typing out my live thoughts during last night's Dancing with the Stars performance show (seriously, it is frantic. You should watch me - I'm like a madwoman with a keyboard), one of the comments that was left on my article really caught my eye.

JulieLove, loyal BuddyTV reader of Dancing with the Stars and American Idol, among other shows, left the comment, "I kind of blame Tony for Mellisa's injury, hes probably just been so excited though that for once since season 2 he didn't get a cougar."

This got me thinking, is JulieLove right? Is it Tony's fault that Melissa hurt her rib? Are all of the professionals to blame for their celebrity partners' injuries?

After giving it some thought, I think I am inclined to agree with JulieLove.

The professionals on Dancing with the Stars have years upon years of dance training, and for all intents and purposes, they are like athletes. They may not compete in matches or games, but their training is no less grueling than any of the most seasoned athletes in the sports world. From their long experience, they have undoubtedly experienced injuries themselves that have sidelined them, but they also should have learned the warning signs when certain injuries are imminent.

These professional dancers are in charge of their celebrity wards. They are the coaches and instructors and sometimes therapists for these celebrities, who know nothing of dance and often, know very little about physical activity in general. As such, not only is it their task to teach them the steps, but they also have to be on the lookout for their health. They want their celebrities to be their best, but that's just not possible when they are injured.

It sounds like Melissa's hairline rib fracture might be an overuse injury. Overuse injuries do not happen overnight. They are the result of repeated stresses and strains put on her. Tony should have seen the warning signs and scaled back the rehearsals for a little bit. I understand that they are always under a ridiculous time constraint and that the pressure to be better than last season is great, not to mention the fact that the paycheck they earn is greater relative to how far they advance in the competition, but the professionals should remember that the contestants' health should be the biggest priority.